It’s autumn again
The rain falls like our tears
Can’t dry our eyes
From the sky we descend

It’s autumn again
The sun shines then fails like us
Our sight becomes a wintry gray
Lost in darkness we will fade

It’s autumn againAndrea Rieck

A favorite weekend destination for people living in Sendai is Yamagata. With on 50 km, this city is easy accessed by car or by public transportation such as buses and trains. This Prefecture is located in the southwest corner of Tohoku, bordered by mountains with adjacent Prefecture namely Niigata, Fukushima, Miyagi and Akita. With most of the population residing in central plain (Wikipedia). This reminds me of my University that was also located in a plain surrounded by mountains. At that time not many students were there so most of the locations was still pristine. I rented a share room in a nice house located at the side of a mountain facing the city. So, at night, with some snacks, I would study outside and enjoy the glamorous night lights from the city. In day time after class, I would stroll through the rice paddy fields or walk along the flowing river. Live was good back then.

If you happen to have a car, then you can enjoy the various festivals celebrated in Yamagata during the year. Visit the snow lantern festival held in Yonezawa and the Uesugi Shrine in February and the Uesugi Matsuri in mid-spring.The largest festival is the hanagasa matsuri (花笠祭り) which takes place on the fist weekend in August (source Wikipedia). For more information about Yamagata, please visit the government website

Most of the fruits and vegetables in Sendai is supplied by farmers from Yamagata. This Prefecture is the largest producer of cherries and pears in Japan. A large quantity of other kinds of fruits such as grapes, apples, peaches, melons, persimmons and watermelons are also produced. (Wikipedia).

Grape Farms
We have visited several grape farms in Yamagata City and Tendo. The farm has all you can eat grapes starting from 500Y/30 minutes packages.

If you want to bring back home for souvenirs, those sweet goodies are by the grams.

Yamadera Temple
Another famous site to visit in Yamagata is the Yamadera (山寺) Temple that lies at the foot of the steep hill Hōshū-yama. This temple exhibit an important cultural asset from the Heian period, the Yakushi Nyorai (the Buddha Bhaisajyaguru). Other important cultural assets includes the Hihokan; standing wooden images of Shaka Nyorai, Yakushi Nyorai and Amida Nyorai; a seated woden image of Dengyo Daishi; a hanging wooden mandala of Buddha and a stone monument of the Nyohō-kyō Sutra from 1144 (source Wikipedia).

After enjoying the temple and the scenery, you can visit the local parlor to try their homemade soba.

Bits and pieces of nature in this area.

How to get to Yamagata and Tendo
To Yamagata Prefecture use the Senzan Line (仙山線) and from Yamagata city to Tendo, use the Ōu Main Line (奥羽本線)